EV charging reliability varies widely across English councils

Significant differences in the reliability and monitoring of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers across English local authorities are contributing to an uneven experience for motorists, according to new research from Close Brothers Motor Finance (CBMF).

A Freedom of Information (FOI) investigation covering 17 English county councils found wide variations in how public charging infrastructure is monitored, with some authorities maintaining detailed information on charger availability while others hold no operational reliability or fault data.

The findings come alongside consumer research showing that more than half (52%) of UK drivers surveyed never use public charging points, with cost, availability and reliability among the reasons given.

Among motorists who rarely or never use public chargers, 13% said charging was too expensive or that pricing was unclear, while 10% said chargers were often busy or unavailable. A further 8% cited chargers being unreliable or frequently out of service.

Safety was another consideration, with 17% raising concerns about using public charging infrastructure. This included 8% worried about poorly lit charging locations and 9% concerned about leaving their vehicle unattended.

Wide variation in charger availability

CBMF’s FOI research found substantial differences between the charging networks overseen by individual councils.

Northumberland County Council reported monitoring all 487 of its public chargers every hour through a digital management platform, with 97% uptime across its rapid charging network.

Surrey County Council also monitors its network of 411 charging sockets, with 11 reported as unavailable – representing less than 3% of the total.

However, Hampshire County Council reported 39 of its 157 public chargers as unavailable, equivalent to around a quarter of the network. Of these, 27 had been deliberately switched off because of low utilisation.

Leicestershire County Council reported 13 of its 53 charging sockets as unavailable, including 10 that had been permanently removed from service.

Elsewhere, Lincolnshire reported four of its 23 chargers as unavailable, while Suffolk had nine unavailable from a total of 85.

The results also highlighted differences in the amount of information councils themselves hold about charger performance.

Lancashire, West Sussex, Nottinghamshire and Essex said they did not hold operational fault or reliability data for public charging infrastructure managed by third-party charge point operators.

West Sussex County Council, for example, said operational data for its network is held by Connected Kerb rather than the authority itself. Nottinghamshire’s charging infrastructure operates through a concession with BP Pulse, while Essex reported that its street charging infrastructure is also managed under a concession arrangement.

John Cassidy, Managing Director at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said:

“With ongoing debate around EV targets and the pace of the UK’s transition to electric vehicles, one thing remains constant: drivers need confidence in the charging network if they’re going to make the switch.

“Our findings show that confidence isn’t just about having more chargers on the map – it’s about knowing they’ll be working when you arrive. The fact that some councils can monitor faults in real time while others don’t even hold reliability data creates an inconsistent experience for motorists depending on where they live.

“If the UK is to accelerate EV adoption, improving reliability, transparency and accountability across the public charging network will be just as important as expanding its size. Drivers need confidence that charging will be straightforward wherever they travel.”

CBMF is calling for greater investment in charging infrastructure alongside more consistent approaches to monitoring and reporting charger reliability, arguing that greater transparency around network performance could help improve consumer confidence.

Cassidy added: “Public infrastructure will remain central to that transition, but businesses also have a role to play. By working with Pod, we’re helping dealers and their customers access dependable charging solutions that make switching to electric easier.”

Close Brothers Motor Finance recently announced a multi-year partnership with EV charging specialist Pod, which will give more than 5,000 of its dealer partners access to commercial forecourt charging solutions. Customers buying electric vehicles through participating dealerships will also be offered discounted home charging packages.

The FOI requests were submitted to 17 English county councils between April and May 2026 and covered the number and operational status of public EV chargers, fault rates, monitoring and maintenance arrangements and available reliability data.

Separate consumer research was carried out by Censuswide among 2,000 UK drivers aged 18 and over between 10 and 15 December 2025.